The Seven Beliefs of a Muslim

Question: What is 'Imaan Mufassal (elaborate Belief)?

Answer:

aa-man-tu bil-laa-hi wa ma-laa-i-ka-ti-hi wa ku-tu-bi-hi wa ru-su-li-hi wal-yaw-mil aakhi-ri wal-qad-ri khai-ri-ji wa shar-ri-hi minal-laa-hi ta'aa-la wal-ba'thi ba'dal mawt.

Belief of Muslims regarding Allah

Question: What is the Muslim's belief about Allah (God, in Arabic)?

Answer: A Muslim's belief is that:

Allah is one.

None is worthy of worship but Allah.

He has no partner.

He knows everything and nothing is hidden from Him.

He is the Fountainhead of all strength and power.

He has created the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, the angels, human beings, jinns, and in fact created the whole universe out of nothingness. He is the Master of all.

He creates and destroys. Everything in creation is born or brought to an end by His orders.

He feeds all His creation.

He neither eats, nor drinks, nor sleeps.

He Himself exists from eternity and will exist to eternity.

Nobody gave birth to Him.

He has no father, no son, no daughter, nor has He any relations. He is free from all these relations.

Everybody depends on Him. He does not depend upon anyone. Nor is he in need of anything.

He is peerless. Nothing is like Him, nothing resembles Him.

He is above all weaknesses and free from all defects and shortcomings.

He has no hands, feet, nose, ears, or face like human beings.

He has made angels to look after certain affairs of the world.

He sent prophets for the guidance of His creatures. They taught them the true religion, instructed them in what is good, and tried to keep them away from evil.

Angels

Question: What are the angels?

Answer: They are Allah's creatures born of light (Nur). They are not corporeal beings and thus invisible to the human eye. They do not disobey Allah nor commit any sin. They keep on doing readily the work assigned to them by Allah.

Question: How many angels are there?

Answer: Nobody except Allah knows their exact number. This much is know that there are many angels and four of them stand out prominently in respect of their nearness to Allah.

Question: Who are those four angels?

Answer: The first one is Hadrat Jibraa'eel (Gabriel) who brought Allah's books, commands and messages to His prophets. The second is Hadrat Israafeel who will blow the trumpet on the Day of Judgement. The third is Hadrat Makaa'eel whose work is to bring rains and give sustenance to Allah's creatures. The fourth is Hadrat Izraa'eel who is deputed to take the life out of a living creature.

Allah's Books

Question: How many Books of Allah are there?

Answer: There are many Books of Allah, small and big, which were revealed to the prophets of Allah. The comprehensive books are known as Kutb (singular Kitaab) and the smaller ones are well known.

Question: What are those four heavenly books, and who are the prophets upon whom were those revealed?

Answer:

Taurait (The Old Testament) which came to Hadrat Musa (Moses) (peace be upon him).

Zabur (Psalm) on Hadrat Daood (David) (peace be upon him).

Injeel (The New Testament) on Hadrat 'Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon him).

Qur'an al-Karim to Prophet Muhammad .

Messengers of Allah (peace be upon them)

Question: Who are the Rusal (prophets)?

Answer: Rusal are Allah's bondsmen and human beings. Allah commissions them to convey His commands to other human beings. They are truthful. They never tell lies. They perform miracles by the order of Allah. They do not commit sins. They are infallible. They deliver Allah's command in all completeness. They neither add anything to it nor do they drop any part of that nor do they conceal any portion of it.

Question: What is meant by Nabi?

Answer: Nabi is synonymous with prophet. They are Allah's bondsmen and His beings. They deliver Allah's commands to other human beings. They are truthful. They never tell lies. They do not commit sins. They are infallible. They deliver Allah's command in all completeness. They neither add anything to it nor do they drop any part of that nor do they conceal any portion of it.

Question: Is there any difference between Nabi and Rasul or both bear the same meaning?

Answer: There is a minor difference between a Nabi and Rasul. Every prophet is a Nabi. But a Rasul is the prophet who is given a new Shari'at (Divine Law) and a Book. Nabi follows the Shari'at that was given to another prophet preceding them. Nabi is not given a new Shari'at and a new Book.

Question: Can anyone become a Nabi by his own efforts and devotions?

Answer: No. A Nabi is appointed only by Allah. This rank is entirely bestowed by Allah. Man's personal efforts or his own desire do not count in the least in this respect.

Question: How many Awliya, and Rasul were there?

Answer: Many Awliya, and Rasul came to the world. But only Allah knows their exact number. We should express our Imaan (belief) in all prophets sent by Allah and testify all of them and believe that they are prophets.

Question: Who was the first prophet?

Answer: Hadrat Adam (peace be upon him) is the first of all the prophets.

Question: Who is the last of all prophets?

Answer: Hadrat Muhammad bin Abdullah is the last of all the prophets.

Question: Will more prophets come after Hadrat Muhammad bin Abdullah?

Answer: No. Because the appointment of prophets and messengers was finalized with Hadrat Muhammad bin Abdullah (peace be upon him). After him, no new Nabi will come until the Day of Judgement. One who says that he is Allah's messenger after Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah, is a liar.

Question: Who is the greatest among prophets?

Answer: Our prophet, Hadrat Muhammad bin Abdullah stands above all as regards respect and rank amongst the prophets, but he is also the bondsman of Allah.

The Day of Judgement

Question: What is the Day of Judgement?

Answer: The Day of Judgement or Qiyaamat is the day when all creatures will die and the whole universe will be destroyed. Mountains will fly like flakes of cotton, stars will break down. Everything will be shattered and destroyed.

Question: How will all the creatures die on the Day of Judgement?

Answer: Hadrat Israafil (peace be upon him) will blow the Sur (trumpet). Its sound will be so dreadful and so strong that its shock will kill every living being and everything will be shattered and destroyed.

Question: When will Qiyaamat come?

Answer: Qiyaamat is to come. But none except Allah knows its exact time. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) has given some of the signs of Qiyaamat. Observing these signs the nearness of Qiyaamat may be known.

Question: What are the signs?

Answer: Prophet Muhammad has said that: When sins begin to increase in the world. People will begin to disobey their parents and treat them harshly, begin to breach trust and abuse confidence, music and dance prevail in excess, and new generation begins to abuse its ancestors, the illiterate and people with little education become leaders, mean and ordinary people begin to construct high buildings and the unworthy begin to get high posts; it may be taken that the Qiyaamat is approaching near.

Fate

Question: What is Taqdir (fate)?

Answer: In Allah's knowledge there is an estimate and appraisal for everything good and bad. Allah knew this about every creature even before anything was created. This knowledge and the estimates of Allah is called Taqdir. Nothing, good or bad, is beyond Allah's knowledge and estimate.

Life After Death

Question: What is meant by life after death?

Answer: Everything will be destroyed in Qiyaamat but when Hadrat Israafeel will blow the Sur for the second time, everything will come to life once again. Human beings will also come to life. All will assemble before Allah in Maidaan-I-hashr (Field of Resurrection). There an Account of Deeds will be exchanged. The day on which this will be done is called Yaw-mul-Hashr or the Day of Resurrection, Yaw-mul Ja-za, and Yaw-mid-Deen (the Day of Exchange) or Yaw-mul-Hisaab (the Day of Reckoning).

Question: Is a person entitled to be called a Muslim who does not accept one or two things out of the seven things mentioned in the Imaan Mufassal?

Answer: Not at all. Unless one believes fully in the Oneness of Allah, in the prophethood of all the prophets, in Allah's Books and angels, Taqdir (fate) decreed by Allah, and Qiyaamat (Day of Judgement) and the Life after Death, he or she cannot be called Muslim.

Question: Prophet Muhammad has named five things as basis of Islam. But there is no mention of angels, Allah's Books, Qiyaamat, Taqdir, etc. Why?

Answer: Among these five things there is a mention of expressing Imaan on Hadrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) and when one believes in the Holy Prophet, he has to accept all what the Holy Prophet had said. It will also be necessary to believe in Allah's Book revealed unto Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and express ones Imaan in it. All these things are mentioned in Imaan Mufassal and are proved to be proved to be true by the Holy Qur'an and by the traditions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

Question: Will one remain a Muslim if one does believe in all these heartily, and testifies them orally, but does not perform Salaat nor give Zakaat, nor keep Fasts, nor perform the Hajj?

Answer: Yes, he or she is Muslim but he or she is sinful and disobedient to Allah. Such a person is called Fasiq (sinner). These people will be punished for their sins but will be pardoned in the end.

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